Zuckerberg donates more than $330K to support Kauai’s school community

KAUAI (HawaiiNewsNow) – More than $330,000 in funding is headed to Kauai schools, educators, and students as the new school year begins.

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The Chan Zuckerberg Kauai Community Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation donated the unrestricted grants.

The funding will benefit all 16 public schools and seven public charter schools on the island, as well as Kumu’s Cupboard, a Lihue nonprofit that provides free classroom supplies to teachers and educational staff year-round.

“Unrestricted or flexible grants empower our school leaders to direct resources exactly where they are needed most,” said Kauai Complex Area Superintendent Leila Maeda-Kobayashi.

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Fund founders Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg also joined local donors in sponsoring Kukui Grove’s Back to School Bash. Organizers said the event, Kauai’s largest free school supply giveaway, distributed more than 3,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to K-12 students.

“By addressing resource disparities and financial pressures facing students, families, and educators, we can help remove barriers and cultivate the necessary conditions for meaningful engagement in learning,” said Hawaiʻi Community Foundation Program Director Marissa Sandblom.

The Chan Zuckerberg Kauai Community Fund was established in 2019 to support the island’s community needs.

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